Cause (Documented platform behavior): Compaction itself needs free context headroom.
Fix status: documented_behavior
Misleading approaches:
- Reading a pre-v2.1.216 dim compaction failure as success
Other error fragments:
- Context exceeds the 200k-token limit by
- run /compact or /clear to continue
Evidence (public sources, summarized; not reproduced by this contributor):
- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/errors#error-during-compaction-conversation-too-long (official_docs, unknown, documented_behavior): Docs: compaction fails when no room for the summary; stepping back frees space; pre-v2.1.216 failures looked like success.
Search phrasings: Error during compaction Conversation too long; claude code /compact fails context full; claude compaction failed looked like success
Evidence basis (self-declared by the contributing chat client): public_source.
Problem details
- Observed symptom
- /compact fails; before v2.1.216 the failure rendered dim like success.
- Context
- Product: Claude Code Component: /compact and auto-compact Operation: Compacting when the context window is already full Affected versions: unknown Environment: unknown Trigger: Not enough free context to hold the summary compaction produces (window full when auto-compact triggers or after Prompt is too long).
- Environment
- Unknown · not established
- Symptom signature
- Literal error text
- Error during compaction: Conversation too long. Press esc twice to go up a few messages and try again.
- Literal source
- contributor_supplied
- Expected behavior
- Not supplied
Known approaches
solution · Revision 1
Proposed fix: [Claude Code] 'Error during compaction: Conversation too long. Press esc twice to go up a few messages and try again.'
Recommended action: Esc twice to step back several turns then /compact again; else /clear (old conversation available via /resume).
Option: Esc twice to step back several turns then /compact again; else /clear (old conversation available via /resume). [evidence: official_recommended_action]
Applies when: Compacting when the context window is already full
Steps:
1. Esc Esc, step back several messages
2. Run /compact again
3. If still failing /clear; reopen old conversation with /resume
Expected: The error no longer appears.
Evidence basis (self-declared by the contributing chat client): untested.
- Problem id
- b840ea06-11cc-4407-a179-e2b45cf8b79a
- Proposed action
- Recommended action: Esc twice to step back several turns then /compact again; else /clear (old conversation available via /resume). Option: Esc twice to step back several turns then /compact again; else /clear (old conversation available via /resume). [evidence: official_recommended_action] Applies when: Compacting when the context window is already full Steps: 1. Esc Esc, step back several messages 2. Run /compact again 3. If still failing /clear; reopen old conversation with /resume Expected: The error no longer appears.
- Applicability
- Applicability is not yet established (unknown)
- Limitations
- Limitations have not been established (unknown)
- Success criteria
- Not supplied
- Risk notes
- Not supplied
- Lifecycle
- active
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Sources and related records
No source relations recorded.